Carlin Lake Association

Have a thoughtful Memorial Day

 

John and I always watch the national Memorial Day program on Sunday evening.   Every year, it's a meaningful reminder of everything that veterans have sacrificed, to allow us this peaceful life on this beautiful lake shore.   

And, especially this year!   All of us have had our lives changed by the virus, and no one can predict what the future will bring.  

 But----how modest this upheaval seems, when I remember kids (like my 19-year-old grandson) across the decades who have served with honor, even as their lives were totally uprooted and forever changed.    And---I think of the parents and wives and children whose loved ones never were able to come home.

Have a pleasant weekend, and a thoughtful Memorial Day.  How grateful we are to all who served and remember all who died!

 

Can you name these locations?

 

I hope these photos will bring you a smile this Memorial Day weekend, and help us all look forward to more happy times together.     I'll bet most of the book club members can tell you where each of these photos was taken.    (You should be able to click to enlarge.)

Also, here are some members of the pizza club, who always have seen us off and welcomed us home.

 

 

Lake level

 

Several days ago on the phone, Judy asked how high the water level is in the lake this spring.     My unhelpful answer was, "I don't know.   About the same, I guess."

Soon afterwards, Carl Watras emailed his official measure for us, comparing this year's water level to the same date last year.    And, ha!  I was pretty close to correct with my non-answer.    A week ago, Carl said the water level was 4 cm higher than last year----about an inch and a half.   Thanks very much for the information, Carl!

After this week with little rain, maybe that inch and half has evaporated, and water level is  nearly equal with last year.      

The forecast for tonight and tomorrow says we may get up to an inch of rain.   That would be welcome, not only for lake level, but also to moderate the very high fire danger warnings that we presently are under.

Have a good rainy weekend, everyone, and enjoy the summery temperatures forecast for next week.

 

Three bears?

 

Maybe there are three single bears in our neighborhood.   Recent spottings make it seem like these three separate guys have been near us in the last few days.

As a possible explanation:   Danny mentions posts he has read, saying that with humans sheltering at home, wildlife have been seen in lots of places that they would usually avoid.    Maybe you have seen posts or photos, too, of critters on city streets, where few humans would be around to bother them.

Here are the three descriptions:

1) The photo Jason Bricco took of the bear in their yard last week.  See post below.

2) The very huge bear John and I saw in our yard early Sunday morning, lumbering along with a limp that looked like his right front leg.     (And when he stretched up along the birch tree, he clearly had all four legs there.)

3) Finally, a sighting in the last couple of days by Ron and Tracy, of a big three-legged black bear, missing his left front leg.   

I am going to assume that one of these three is the same fellow that visited Chuck and Karen's deck on Tuesday morning.

So----it is hard for me to believe, but all three of these critters are pretty distinguishable from one another.    That is a lot of visitors, in just a few days.

 

More bear news

 

Chuck and Karen Hayes share this photo, showing the tracks they found on their deck in this morning's heavy frost.    That big bear was really close to their glass doors, wasn't he?

John and I are wondering if this may have been the same big guy that we saw in front of our house at 5:30 yesterday morning.    I wasn't awake enough to grab my camera, and it was probably still dark enough that a picture wouldn't have been too great, anyway.

But, John and I think he was the biggest bear we have ever seen, and he appeared very comfortable hanging out in our front yard.     At one point he stretched up to scratch his back and his head on the trunk of a birch tree.   Later, John took a tape measure out to determine that his head had been 8 feet off the ground.

Recent comments made on Facebook, responding to Jason Bricco's photo of their bear visitor last week, indicate that others in our area have been spotting bears too.   Huh!   Keep your eyes open, and let us know of any further bear encounters you have.

 

Thanks to those who make our boating season possible!

 

The high temperature yesterday was only about 37 degrees.   But, piers are being installed around the lake, and we know it will be boating season soon.

Sincere thanks from all of us to Jim Stocker and Danny LaPean for all the planning and recent work to make the boat landing more attractive and manageable!!    We appreciate their time-consuming work, which benefits all of us!

I know Danny has emailed photos of the new, more convenient posts and metal gate closure, which will be controlled by a lock box containing the key.    For now, until Jim and Danny can meet and make sure everything is working, please continue to use the key that you have previously been issued.  

 

 

And, wow, what an attractive informational kiosk Ron and Tracy Bricco have constructed for the landing site!   Thanks to the Briccos for their careful work!    Now all regulations and announcements can be in one protected spot.

Let me add a "thank you" to Mary Watkins, on whose property the boat landing is situated.    Her generosity gives us all this access to beautiful Carlin Lake!

The landing pier will be in place any time now, and with warmer temps, we can celebrate the beginning of another fun summer on the lake!

 

 

Papa Bear

 

 

Thanks to Danny LaPean and Jason Bricco for photos of this big bear in Bricco's yard yesterday.

Wow!    I know they are reportedly more scared of us than we are of them, but I sure wouldn't want to run into this fellow on the back trail.

 

 

Assorted sightings

 

The first sighting to report here is trash----on the woodsy path between Babcocks and Huemanns.    But, not any trash you may have expected---but fresh trash that could have come from someone's gargabe cans??

Amy and Jeanne wonder if any of us have any insight about this new "stuff" out in the woods.   Pretty icky to encounter on a walk through the woods!

 

The second sighting is of more predictable spring wildlife----a bear and three cubs along Hwy P.    Bob Rider was stopped last evening between the school and the campground, with Mama Bear standing right in the middle of the road.   He tells that the triplets scrambled off and up a tree along the road.  

He took this photo from his car, so you may have to squint to see the "kids."       

I'm reminded that we had a mom and triplets frequenting our area last year about this time, too, but these are too small to be the same family.    Keep your eyes open.   Maybe they will stay in our neighborhood again this year too.

 

 

Brave crocus

 

It was 70 degrees and summery yesterday; today, 50 degrees and windy, but the sun was still cheerful.

When I see the sun sparkling off the surface of the water, it starts to feel like summer.    

The first boat of the season was out on the lake yesterday.   Because three little kids were along, I'm guessing the Babcock family, whose new home is in Stockers' bay. 

On my walk today, I spotted this lone crocus blooming from the roadside gravel.   How did that little bulb get planted there, in such as barren spot?